"I'd like peace on earth and some teething toys, please"
"Hmmm...this is taking a little longer then I planned; I wonder when lunch is?"
"Oh! There you are, mom! Hey, how's it going?"
"Just...can't...get 'em...all...in, no matter which way I try!"
And here is Brett pulling Larson in a vintage Sno-Tube. This gave Brett yet another occasion to gloat about keeping every piece of sports/recreational equipment he's owned since 1985. I'm still waiting for those first-edition roller-blades to come in handy...
Needless to say, Larson got a kick out of riding around on it and joining all the other kids in our neighborhood at the park for a slide down the hill. Yes, those are rain boots on his feet, but who would have thought we were going to need the other kind this winter?
Cora all bundled up for a walk in the snow:
It was a hot-chocolate-making, Christmas-cookie-baking, extra-book-reading, rosy-cheeked kind of day. 
Larson was very into the whole deal and was super-excited to start putting on all the decorations. I loved getting all these pictures of him walking around the tree, putting up the ornaments exactly where they should all be if you're 3!
I can hardly believe our little cutie is 4 months already! Put differently, 1/3 of that magical first year is already over! The top photo is a picture of Cora in a hat that was mine as a baby. Not exactly the latest fashion, but pretty darn cute and warm to boot. And may I also point out the ruffle-butt pants?
So, what is Miss Cora up to these days? Most of her awake moments are spent as you see her above: fists/fingers in the mouth. She hasn't quite gotten to a thumb-sucking stage, but just loves to chew on the entire thing. Lots of drool. And here's a cool thing: have you ever read about "having a conversation with your baby?" You know, you make some sounds and she/he makes them back to you? Well, either I didn't have the right skills or Larson was too serious to participate, but I never really believed that this actually happened. Until now...Cora loves to make this gurgly sound at you and I've even initiated a back & forth with her by making it myself. She really is trying to communicate. I probably look totally wacko trying to do it, but aren't all of us parents willing to look like fools for our little ones?
Gotta love that smile! It just makes my day. As you can see, she's getting pretty good at lifting up her chest while on her tummy. And she's also pretty good at rolling onto her back these days. Still working on the reverse direction, so stay tuned!
I can't hardly believe that it's already been three years since we brought our little baby boy home. And now he is a bona fide preschooler! By now I'm sure I sound like a broken record, but how time does fly. Larson, we are so proud to be your parents and we love watching you learn and grow. You surprise us all the time with your astute observations about the world around you, especially when we think you're not paying attention. You entertain us with your stories, made-up words and imaginative play. You are the highlight of our day when we get to hear your squealing laughter and see your bright-eyed smile. You catch us off guard with your pointed questions because sometimes we draw a complete blank trying to answer them. You've already become a watchful and loving older brother to Cora in just 4 short months. Happy birthday, congratulations on being three!
We had a family celebration with just the four of us for Larson on his actual birthday: cupcakes, teriyaki chicken (his favorite food) and presents. It was a great way to start out being three.
Well, I disregarded the advice of some very smart and savvy people and decided to actually have a birthday party for Larson. At home. Turns out that when you turn three, it's not so cool to have all your parent's friends over for conversation and cake. No, we've reached the age where the little guy has his own friends and just wants them to come over and play. I've heard and read about little kids' birthday parties "gone wild" with hired performers, entertainment, etc, etc. Brett and I weren't quite prepared to go down that path (I was having nightmares about the opening scene from "Mrs. Doubtfire"), so we decided just to have a small gathering of Larson's friends for some playtime and cake. It's a fine balance between providing your child with happy birthday memories and going overboard with things that are really only important to adults. 
First, the cake: Larson wanted a chocolate cake with green frosting, so that's what we made. He was a great helper! I actually made the bigger mess when I dropped the bag of powdered sugar and coated my pants, apron, socks, floor and even Cora's toys with it. Oh, well, that's what dishrags and mops are for, I suppose :) I made "dirt" with crushed Oreo cookies for a couple of construction trucks to drive around on. Those were a big hit: here's Larson trying to guard his digger from everyone else and trying SO hard to be patient for my pictures before he could pick it up.
It also turns out that catering for a crowd of preschoolers is pretty easy: chocolate milk, mini corn dogs (sans ketchup, of course...I'm not that crazy!), PB&J and some fruit did the trick. Plus a few extras for the grown ups. Lots of people told me to keep the party short (my plan was about 2 hours) and keep the activities moving. I felt a little like a cruise director with my: "OK, everyone...who's ready for cake?" and "Let's all sit down so Larson can open his presents now." I'm a bit of a wallflower at social gatherings and I don't particularly like being in the spotlight, so it felt a little weird, but it was definitely necessary for someone to be in charge of the whole operation. Whew! Who knew it would be so complicated? :)
I am also grateful for a loving, wonderful husband who is a fabulous dad, handyman, and partner. Not to mention all that he has had to put up with during my roller-coaster career, which he continues to do with very little complaint.
We spent Thanksgiving morning as a family walking the trail at Discovery Park. It was quite chilly, as you can probably tell by how we're dressed, but the views of the snow-covered Olympics were gorgeous and it just felt good to be outside. Even though most of the leaves are off the trees, I still find beauty in the quiet, barren landscape that is just patiently waiting for another warm season. And who can resist rosy-cheeked children? 
